A Trip to Vista Del Lago and the Chapala Golf Course

This is the second article in a series that I am writing about the area East of Chapala.  It is a mostly undiscovered part of the lakeside.  The first trip out there was by bus and on this trip I rode out with my friend Tammy in her comfortable car. Both ways were interesting. We didn’t go through the first town, Santa Cruz this time. Maybe we will make it on the next trip. On this trip, we focused on the area called Vista Del Lago and the Country Club.

Vista Del Lago is easy to find. It is only a few miles East of Chapala. The Mezcala bus goes past it. If you take the bus, it is quite a long walk to the homes up on the hillside. It is an easy walk to the Country Club from the main road. When you see the arches in the above photo, you know you are there.

Two guards were at the check point before we entered Vista Del Lago. They were very friendly and waved us on without asking any questions.

Almost immediately upon entering the gate, there are signs about the Country Club. It would be extremely difficult to miss. This Country Club and golf course were created thirty years ago. Many of the homes close to it look to be about the same age. The further up the hill we went, the newer and larger the homes.

We weren’t allowed to eat at the restaurant. Only members or people with members are allowed to eat there. But they did let us go in and take photos. Membership seems reasonable, compared to most country clubs. If you aren’t into doing anything but eating, then you can get a social membership. That allows you just eat at the restaurant.  If you are interested in their prices, please contact them at: membership@ccchapala.com or visit their website: www.ccchapala.com or call: (376) 763 5384.

Meals in the restaurant also seem reasonably priced, starting around 90 pesos. I can’t say anything about the quality of the food because I wasn’t allowed to eat there.

I am guessing that in the evenings, the place is busier. There are very few things to do out in Vista Del Lago that don’t include the Country Club.

You can see a bit of the golf course from the photo above. I love the outdoor eating area. I am not a golfer but if I lived out in Vista Del Lago, I certainly would get a Social membership. I would spend my afternoons sitting on patio, eating and watching those golfers. Maybe I could lose some weight just by watching.

In the above photo, you can see some of the newer homes that are up on the hillside.

The photo above is the road that goes to Upper Vista Del Lago, which means View of the Lake in English. This road is kind of narrow and bumpy.

Here are some photos of the homes in this area. The first homes are closer to the Golf Course and lower down. The homes in the last photos are higher up.

I love the home in the above photo. It must take a lot of maintenance.

Above is another home that must have a full time gardener. I would hate to have to trim those trees. The owners of these homes must provide a lot of jobs for the Mexicans who live in the towns surrounding Vista Del Lago.

Two photos of walls that keep the homes hidden.  The owners of these homes must like a lot of privacy.

All of the homes in Vista Del Lago have beautiful gardens. Since some of them are thirty years old, their gardens are mature.

While we were there, we didn’t see anyone walking up the hill. The views are spectacular but in order to be able to have views, one must own a car or be in very good shape physically. I am neither. This wouldn’t be a good place for me to live.

We saw the For Rent sign posted on the gate of the beautiful home in the photo below. We were intrigued so we stopped and rang the bell and the owners came out and let us in. They showed us the apartment and it was spectacular.  There are views from the front windows and there is a patio in the front. There is even a gym and pool room in the home. It was a marvel, like something out of a House and Garden magazine.

The two photos below were taken from the front patio in the home for rent. Many of the homes in the upper Vista Del Lago area have views like this one.

The water in the below photo is a holding tank for the lawn water at the golf course. Too bad it isn’t a swimming pool.

Below is the bus stop just before the entrance at Vista Del Lago. You could take the bus out there but it would be a bit of a walk to the homes. The golf course would be easy.

After we left Vista Del Lago, we stopped once again at Cain’s Restaurant. Where ever I have traveled in the world, I have always come upon one or two people in each area like Cain. These are people who have mastered two or three languages (sometimes more) and who love to interact with strangers.  They are always the catalysts for social activities and they are experts on what is happening locally. They know about rentals, places for sale, where to buy things, who to trust, etc. I don’t know how I would have managed in foreign places without smiling and welcoming faces like Cain’s.

We left Cain’s Restaurant so he could go back to trimming the tree in front of it. I am going to put on a couple more articles about the area east of Chapala because I find it extremely interesting. Cain’s Restaurant will always be my home base out there. He is a wealth of information and he is always friendly and helpful.   Thank you Cain.

I hope you are enjoying these articles about the area east of Chapala. I love exploring there. If I ever have to move, I would seriously consider moving out to one of the small towns we have been visiting.